Apparatus for finishing sheets



j INVENToR.

R. M. Fl-:NToN l APPARATUS FOR FINISHING SHEETS Filed July 7. 1930 Feb. 11, 1936.

out any loss of time or manual handling, such as ce A Patented ,Febr 1936 v UNITED STATES The Newton Steel Com a corporation of Ohio pany, Youngstown,` Ohio,

Application July 7, 1930, serial No. 466.141

1 claim.- (ci. ca -lili This invention, relating as indicated to apparatus for linishing sheets, has particular reference to apparatus which is adapted to receive sheets after the same have been properly rolled in the hot mills, such apparatus being designed to accomplish every step in the iinishing process for the sheets as the same pass through the apparatus continuously after leaving the hot mills.

The usual rolling mill practice for finishing sheets has been to manually transfer the sheets which are usually arranged in packs from and to the several machines which are employed for the purpose of finishing such sheets, such v-practice resulting in a greater cost of iinished product than that which is obtained by the employment of the apparatus comprising my invention. More speciiically my invention contemplates the arrangement of the severalmachlnes which are usually employed for the purpose of finishing the sheets 'in longitudinal alignment so that, as the sheets are discharged Veither from the hot rolls or other apparatus, and from the several units included in my apparatus, the same are received in proper alignment by the next succeedingnnit, so that the sheets may pass through the entire finishing line continuously and successively Withhas heretofore been employed. The longitudinal alignment of theseveral machines comprising my invention makes `possible the synchronization of such units so that the proper speed of the sheet or sheets may be produced as the same are fed to or through the several units ofthe apparatus. This advantage of control over the rate of travel of th'e sheet increases the eiciency of theV several units to a maximum, and fln'ther expedites` the handling of such sheets, so that a maximum amount of production is obtained from a minimum of apparatus. y

Another primary advantage of the apparatus comprising my invention resides in the efliciency of its operation without the necessity of personal supervision on the part of an operator or operators. When the sheets have once'been started through the apparatusafter having been discharged from the hot rolls, or normalizing furnace, etc., no further personal attention to the finishing operation is necessary-until the sheets have been discharged fromV the finishing apparatus and stacked. It is among the objects of my invention to provide an ,apparatus for iinishfing sheets which shall have all of the above named desirable, characteristics.v Other objects of my invention l will appear as the description proceeds. To the accomplishment of the foregoing and related ends, said invention, then, consists of the meanshereinafter fully described and particularly pointed out in the claim.

'I'he annexed drawing and the following description set forth in detail certain mechanism 5 embodying the invention, such disclosed means constituting,` however, but one of tarious mechanical forms'in which the principle of the invention maybe used.

, In said annexed drawing: 10

. Fig. lis a plan view of the apparatus comprislng my invention; and Fig.'2 is a diagrammatic elevational view showing the co'relation of the several units.v f

Referring more speciiically to the drawing, the 15 'l sheets to be iinished are dischargedr either singly or in packs from the hot rolls or normalizing furnace, or other suitable apparatus, into a pickhng apparatusV I, which may either be of the batch or continuous type, as is well known to those familiar 20 with the art of rolling mill procedure. Positioned in longitudinalv alignment with the pickler 1s a scrubbing machine 2 which may be of any well known form of construction, here illustrated as Y consisting of 4a plurality of rolls 3 which are in 25 driving communication one with the other in a gear box 'I which has la motor 5 in communication therewith for the purpose of driving the several rolls of the scrubbing machine. Afterl the sheets have passed through the scrub- 3u bilig rolls 3;they pass through an air,v dryer 6 which 4has in communication therewith an air duct 1 leading to a blower 8 which may be driven by a motor S. When the sheets leave the air dryer S they 3s pass onto a straightening table I0 which consists of a plurality of angularly disposed rolls I I driven by means of a motor I2 which force such sheets hard over against a longitudinally extending stop I3 which properly lines such sheets preparatory 40 to their introduction to the next unit in the nishing apparatus. The sheets, after having been properly straightened by the straightening table I Il, pass through a roller leveller I4 which may be driven by a motor I5. An endless belt conveyor 4E' I6 is positioned in longitudinal alignment with the roller leveller gli, such belt being driven through a suitable connection as indicated at I'I from the leveller` Il. Theconveyor Il projects the sheets between vertically 'arranged cold rolls 50 I8 and I 9 which, as most clearlysillustrated' in Fig. 2, may have a pinch roll 20 in association therewith for the purpose of properly feeding the sheets to suchrolls to prevent the same from becoming cracked and marred. The cold 0 I3 are journalled in the usual manner in housings 2I and 22 andare driven through a gear yreducer 23 by means of the motor 24.

In longitudinal alignment with the coldrolls I8 andl 3 are conveyors 25 and 28 which, although indicated inFig. 2 as consisting of two separate endless belts, are really in fact parts of the same conveyor which is driven by means. of the motorl ,alignment therewith, which consists of rolls 32 which move the sheets through an air dryer 33. Preliminary to such drying, however, hot water, or the like, maybe projected onto the sheets to facilitate the operation of the hot air dryer 33.

" The not andryer as has a not air conduitv u in .communication therewith which leads from a blower 35 driven by a motor 36. vThe sheets, after leaving the hot air dryer 33, pass through a suitable roller leveller 3l which is driven by a motor 33. After the sheets leave the leveller 31 -they may be stacked or otherwise disposed of having been completely finished in their travel through the above described apparatus.

As merely indicative of the several, speeds at which the separate units of the apparatus comprising my invention may be driven to effect a properly controlled movement of the sheets through'the apparatus, I may prefer to have the llinear velocity imparted'to the sheets by the rolls of the scrubbing machine l2, approximately one.

hundred-and forty-two (142) feet per minute. The linear velocity of the sheets through the dryer ,6 is approximately feet per minute, the speed through the straightening table is 247 feet per minute, the linear velocity of the rolls of the roller leveller Il is approximately 141 feet per mlnuteLthe linear velocity of the endless conveyor I6 is approximately 310 feet per minute, the tangential velocity of the cold rolls I8 and I9 and 28 and 29 is approximately 306 feet per minute. 'Ihe linear velocity of the .endless conveyors 25 and 26 is approximately 310 feet per' minute, the linear velocity of the endless conveyor 3| may be approximately 304 feet per minute, the tangential velocity of the rolls 32 may be approximately feet per. minute, the tangential velocityof the conveyor movingv the sheets through the dryer 33 is approximately 185 feet per minute, and the tangential veloeityof the rolls and the roller leveller is approximately 183 feet per, minute. 'Ihe above described-speed ratios of the several units which may be maintained at au times by having the proper gear ratio in association lwith each of the driving motors and having such motors either synchronous or operating from the same -potential whereby uniformity of .the above speed ratio is at all times maintained.

By employing the above described apparatus, it will be noted by those familiar' with the art oi' finishingl sheet metaLthat the sheets may be quickly and very economically given their nal finish preparatory to shipment or consummation at a minimum cost and ,with a'reduction in the number of scrap sheets far below that accomv plished by any` apparatus heretofore employed.

It will be noted by those'familiar with the art vof sheet metal manufacture that I have employed several units such as the straightening table and Ythe rst roller leveller in the' finishing line through which the sheets must pass, which units have heretofore never been' employed inasmuch as the form of my improved apparatus is ,such that these units are essential to prepare theV sheets so as to be capable of being mechanically fed 'to the cold rollsA which are positioned later" in` the finishing line.

Other`modes of applyingthe principleof my invention may be employed instead-ofl the one explained, change being made as regards the mechanism herein disclosed, provided the means stated by the following claimor the equivalent of such stated means be employed.

I therefore particularly point out and distinctly claim as my invention: v

In a machine for automaticallydmpartinga full nish to steel sheets, in combination, a continuous pickler; a scrubber, a dryer, and -a straightener, said scrubber, dryer and straightener being in an operative alignment and adapted to receive sheets automatically from said pickler and advance them through the said devices in/ -the order' stated at-an increasing rate of speed;y

a.' leveler adapted to automatically receive sheets discharged from said straightener; a conveyor, a stand of cold rolls, a second conveyor, a second stand of-cold rolls and a discharge conveyor, said conveyors and rolls being synchronized to advance a sheet received from said leveler at a decidedly higher, substantially uniform, speed, a j' dryer and a leveler, said' devices being synchronized to substantiallyv lmiform speed materially less than that of the cold rolls, and aligned for the automatic passage` of sheets through the several devices in theorder named.

' RAY M.' FENTON. 

